Princess Gwenevere/Starla
Princess Gwenevere is the titular main character in Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders, also known as Starla in the show's international version Starla & the Jewel Riders (this wiki uses "Gwenevere"). She was voiced by Kerry Butler for the show's first season and by Jean Louisa Kelly for the second one. Gwenevere/Starla-centered episodes include "Jewel Quest, Part II", "Travel Trees Can't Dance", "Wizard's Peak", "Dreamfields", "Fashion Fever", "Prince of the Forest", "The Wishing Jewel", and "Lady of the Lake / Spirit of Avalon". Her later inspired the character of Kara in Avalon: Web of Magic. Princess Gwenevere (or Starla, depending on the version), the beautiful daughter of Queen Anya and King Jared, the kingdom of Avalon's royal family, is the newest Jewel Rider. She becomes the current leader of the group after she receives the sacred Enchanted Jewel called the Sun Stone for her magic and gets perfectly paired with the wondrous winged unicorn named Sunstar. Gwen is gorgeous, intelligent, graceful and poised, and always looking for romance and adventure. She has many suitors, but clearly favours Drake and Ian, who both pledge their lives to her. As the series begins, Gwenevere is to next in line become the Queen of Avalon when she comes of age, but a disaster strikes and Gwen must lead her best friends Fallon and Tamara on a heroic Jewel Quest to defend her kingdom from the forces of darkness and from unstable wild magic. Gwenevere has a great task before her, as she and Sunstar are to be true champions of Avalon, as is befitting a future Queen. To fulfill her destiny, she needs to come to become the savior of her teacher Merlin and the entire Avalon from her evil aunt, Kale. Meanwhile, Fallon and Tamara contribute enormously to Gwen's growth as a young woman and future leader of the kingdom. "Let goodness and love forever triumph over the forces of darkness!" In the show Gwenevere, or "Gwen" to her friends, is the bold, graceful, poised and exceptionally beautiful Princess of the kingdom of Avalon. Gwenevere is a true heroine, ready to face the challenges that await her as she rides the wings of her destiny to vanquish evil and secure her rightful place as future Queen of this magical kingdom. Soon Gwen gets bonded with a rare and stunning golden winged unicorn, whom she names Sunstar. Background , her evil aunt and rival to the throne of Avalon]] and Gwen with the Sun Stone and in "Dreamfields"]] "]] When the series begins, the sixteen-year-old Princess Gwenevere is only about to become a Jewel Rider of the sacred Sun Stone and the heir to the throne must be worthy of being one. But since Queen Anya's hateful sister Lady Kale disrupted peace in the kingdom, the pressure on the Queen to test her daughter was very great and the pressure on Gwen was even worse. Her fellow Jewel Riders make a pledge to their mentor Merlin to aid and protect the inexperienced young Princess in their quest to deliver Avalon from evil, as only she can restore peace to Avalon and secure the good magic for the future generations. And thus Gwenevere must now ride Sunstar and lead her friends Fallon and Tamara to bring back Merlin, and to once and for all rid her kingdom of the dark powers of Kale and (later on during the second season) the witch-queen Morgana. Gwenevere is the princess of the kingdom. She is has had the finest schooling, the finest training, and has been bred with the finesse and refinement that the royal family would convey upon their children. Gwen carries herself with poise, sophistication, and the worldly ways of a cosmopolitan "city-girl"—this attitude sometimes puts her at odds with Tamara's simpler "country-girl" way of looking at things. Gwen 7.png | Gwenevere with friends at the Friendship Ring ceremony in "Jewel Quest, Part II" Gwen 8.png|Gwenevere rallies her friends to end the evil Queen Kale's rule in "Full Circle" File:Showdown.png|Gwenevere wiedling the Staff of Avalon and Sunstar standing against Kale in "Lady of the Lake" Physical attributes *Age: 16 *Height: 5' 6" (167 cm) *Hair: Blonde, worn long (usually with a ponytail, sometimes with a fashionable braid) *Eyes: Piercing blue Personality in "Revenge of the Dark Stone"]] Gwenevere's inheritance from her famous namesake includes courage, a strong will, and a certain impulsiveness and coquettish attitude. Her loving parents, Queen Anya and King Jared, have always had a difficult time controlling the headstrong girl and her fiery temper, and lead her to realize her potential and her destiny to become the future Queen of Avalon. Although Gwen can be snobby and pretentious, sometimes taking the attitude of a pampered brat who loves attention and is obsessed with fashion and shopping, Sunstar always helps the girl develop her inner beauty—Gwen will learn to mature in her thinking, her ways, and her outlook. Sunstar will help the Princess make the right decisions, and do the right things. "]] Gwenevere has two solid friends and allies in Fallon and Tamara, friendships based on mutual respect. Gwen is especially close to Tamara. Although she sometimes finds herself jealous of Tamara's musical and magical abilities, and Fallon's physical prowess, the Princess is proud of her friends and knows that when the three girls work together, the strength of their powers can only be increased. Gwen is overall an excellent leader to use her and her friends' skills and abilities to the fullest. She can get wrapped into her own concern at times, but in the end the team always comes first. "]] Being the Princess, Gwenevere is constantly aware of being in the public eye and is very concerned about her appearance and looks. Having been raised a very proper young lady, Gwen's manners and grooming are impeccable, yet she has little patience with mundane activities and cannot help but let loose occasionally with a streak of playfulness that comes as a complete surprise to her friends. comforting her daughter after Gwen's initial failure to use the Sun Stone in "Jewel Quest, Part II"]] The only thing that Gwenevere is afraid of is not doing something well. Although she always gives the appearance of absolute confidence, deep down she is insecure about living up to her mother's accomplishments. Abilities "|left]] Gwenevere is more feminine than Fallon yet too well versed in various schools of martial arts. She has been also tutored by her mother Queen Anya in ancient runes and languages. When she puts her mind to it Gwen can be an excellent student, although she is more interested in sharpening the social skills and responsibilities that go along with the role of being a Princess of Avalon. in "Song of the Rainbow"]] in "Revenge of the Dark Stone"]] Princess Gwenevere has bonded with a magnificent golden winged unicorn Sunstar. They wear the Sun Stone, a golden special Enchanted Jewel handed down from Queen Anya. Gwen flies Sunstar with a commanding sense of style and grace but both know they must live up to the expectations placed upon them and the pressures of being the best. Gwen loves to look good. Representing the new generation from the Crystal Palace, Gwen is quite at home in diplomatic affairs, especially parties. Hobnobbing and chit-chatting with the Lords and Ladies of the land comes very naturally to her and her innate intelligence, irresistible charm, and amazing beauty often puts her at the center of any crowd. File:Gwenevere dress.png|Gwenevere in her Sun Stone themed gown in "Love Struck" File:Gwen 12.png|Gwen smash-kicks through a door in "The Wishing Jewel" File:Princess.png|Princess Gwenevere in a party dress "Dreamfields" Jewel power "]] It was the proudest day in Gwenevere's life when she received the Sun Stone. Sharing that special moment with Sunstar made it even more wonderful. Their bonding is a rare blend of champions that all of Avalon look to with hopeful hearts, for the Sun Stone harbors the power to shine its lights and make things grow strong, healthy and beautiful. But now, without Merlin to teach her how to use the magical Sun Stone, Gwenevere will have to rely on her friends and Sunstar to support her efforts. The Sun Stone is difficult to master but the headstrong girl will never give up and is very determined to learn. When all else fails, Gwen's explosive bursts of temper always forces the jewel to work on some level. Sun Stones.png|Gwenevere and Sunstar with their Sun Stones in "Full Circle" thorntree.png|The sun power hits Kale's monster in "Travel Trees Can't Dance" File:Gwen Sunstone.png | Gwenevere in her 1st season Jewel Armor in "Wizard's Peak" File:Sun Stone beam.png|Gwenevere firing the Sun Stone in "Dreamfields" File:GSS.png | Gwen in her 2nd season Armor on a flying board in "Morgana" File:Sunstar Sun Stone.png|Sunstar casts a Sun Stone magic shield in "Prince of the Forest" Romance in "Wizard's Peak"]] "|220x220px]] in "Prince of the Forest"]] As for affairs of the heart, with so many starry-eyed young men competing for her attention, Gwen seems to be especially interested in flirting with the Pack leader Drake—she could have her pick of any boy in the kingdom yet likes Drake the best and is jealous whenever she finds him attempting to woo Tamara. Drake and Gwen are destined for romance, and everyone in Avalon can she they would make a great couple. Nevertheless she teases him constantly, and waits for him "to prove himself to be the partner of a Princess." (Gwen to Drake: "When I become Queen, I will need a King by my side, someone strong yet gentle, kind, and loving."Dreamfields (script)) Gwen's other favorites include Lord Batton, with whom she goes on a date but who turns out to be very boring and most of all interested in himself (and also in Dennon apparently). Later, Gwen falls in love with the handsome and mighty werewolf Ian of Arden and they quickly become intimate after they save each other. Nevertheless, a prophecy in "Spirit of Avalon" clearly shows the future Queen Gwenevere being together with Drake and not Ian. Drake and Gwen 2.png | With Drake in "Wizard's Peak" File:Gwen Drake 1.png | With Drake in "Wizard's Peak" Gwen Drake 5.png | With Drake in "Love Struck" Gwen Drake 2.png | With Drake in "Fashion Fever" Gwen Drake 4.png | With Drake in "Wishing Jewel" Gwen Batton.png | With Lord Batton in "Dreamfields" Ian Gwen.png | With Ian in "Prince of the Forest" Ian 1.png | With Ian in "Prince of the Forest" Gwen Ian.png | With Ian in "The One Jewel" Fashion and style File:Gwen 1.png Gwen fashion 5.png Gwen fashion 4.png Clip_15.png Gwen fashion 1.png Gwen fashion 3.png Gwen fashion 2.png Gwen fashion 6.png As a Jewel Rider, Princess Gwenevere wears a unique winged helmet signifying her bonding with Sunstar, the winged unicorn. Her Jewel Armor's helmet, crystal gauntlets and breastplate, are used for protection when using the power of her Enchanted Jewel and for riding the wild magic. Gwenevere's everyday outfit is actually similar to her armor. For parties, craft fairs, and ceremonial balls, she is very conscious of her appearance as her company is frequently sought by young lords and handsome knights from around the kingdom. Gwen has a dazzling wardrobe with special outfits for every occasion. She also happens to have excellent taste and prefers materials from the finest suedes, silks, and leathers. All of her costumes are finely tailored and often accented expensive jewelry. * Favorite colors: Golds and pinks, offset by blues and violets. * Favorite foods: Ice pies, chocolate shakes. * Pet peeves: Tamara's babies can be pesky troublemakers. Gwenevere has an especially tricky time with Cleo, the spoiled baby unicorn, who follows her and Amber around, hanging on their every word. Gwen has an aversion to dirt and hates to get herself dirty. Behind the scenes Portrayal Princess Gwenevere has been voiced by Kerry Butler for the show's first season, but Butler was then replaced by Jean Louisa Kelly for the second one due to her conflicting Broadway schedule. She was also voiced by Barbara Tissier in French, Anna Maria Tulli in Italian, Fernanda Figueiredo in Portuguese, Carmen Cervantes in Spanish, and Pernilla Wahlgren in Swedish. Kerry Buttler.jpg | Kerry Butler (2011) Pernilla Wahlgren.jpg | Pernilla Wahlgren (2013) Development ]] Gwenevere had been originally named 'Guinevere' (but still shortened to Gwen), obviously inspired by the Arthurian Guinevere. She was also referred to as the "Princess of Camelot" in some early versions of the show, where she would also use different colors than mainly pink. Gwen was also supposed to have a little sister named Tara. Originally, Gwen's Sun Stone was to use different colors of the rainbow to access its various different powers.The Enchanted Jewel Riders Show Bible Art director Greg Autore said: "''As the main character, she needed to be in pink. Girls OVERWHELMINGLY prefer pink. But I chose her skin tones and hair color to be as golden as I could, as if she was infused with the Sun Stone's power."Greg Autore and the Toy Design of Jewel Riders - Part Two - The Jewel Riders Archive Gwen design 2.png | An early concept art Gwen design 1.png | Another early concept art Gwen and Tara.jpg | Fan art of Gwen and Tara Legacy In Avalon: Web of Magic, Gwenevere inspired the character of Kara Davies, a modern mayor's daughter who turns out to be a descendant of the Fairy Queen Lucinda (who was the twin sister of the series' antagonist Dark Sorceress). Gwen and Kara also share many of their characteristics, much of their role in the plot, and look similar to each other. ] Gallery Gwenevere Armor .png|Gwen in her upgraded Jewel Armor in the second season Gwen 11.png | Gwenevere dancing with the Fox in "Travel Trees Can't Dance" Gwen 13.png | Gwenevere face to face with the Guardian in "Wizard's Peak" Gwenevere Dark Stone.png | Gwenevere wielding the Dark Stone against her wicked aunt Lady Kale in "Dreamfields" Gwen 9.png | Gwenevere bewitched by Kale in "Fashion Fever" Gwen Sunstar forest.png |Gwen with Sunstar in "Prince of the Forest" Gwen Sunstar ship.png |Gwen with Sunstar on their ship in "The Jewel of the Sea" Gwen 4.png | The "Fortune Jewel" vision of Gwen as Morgana's slave Gwen 5.png | Mermaid Gwen and Sunstar with Ian and Archie in "The One Jewel" See also * List of characters * Royal family References Who was your favourite actress? Kerry Butler Jean Louisa Kelly Who would you prefer for Gwen to marry? Drake Ian (turned human) Actually someone else Category:Jewel Riders Category:Humans Category:Heroes Category:Female characters Category:Main characters Category:Royal family